bigsurkate

Appointed appellate counsel for indigent defendants (retired.) I have lived in Big Sur since 1984, first on the north coast, and on the South Coast since 1989.

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  • As a former president once said, “where do we find such men”. Where ever it is can they please stay there.

    • Funny, Ken, but I so agree. My son pulled him out. I told him, next time, tell him to get himself out of his own mess, and that son would be by tomorrow to see if he was successful, and if not, THEN you would help. People like this need consequences.

      https://bigsurkate.blog

  • The word on Big Sur is out. Come, do whatever you want , no law enforcement and no need to "Pack It Out". Someone else will pick up your trash and toilet paper. Sweet! What a place to commune with Mother Nature. It is beautiful...

  • Dear Kate,
    I have an idea: can the land between Point Sur Lighthouse and Molera SP be turned into another state or federal camp ground? Everyone wants to experience Big Sur. Let's give the kids a place to go. If there is a place to easily get to, then the majority of people will go to the legal camping areas. This could help eliviate the stress on the area. What do you think?

    • That particular stretch cannot, as it is private property from the Spanish Land Grant days, but I do like the way you are thinking. There may be a portion of it, or another section that could be turned into dispersed camping - no hook-ups, portapotties only and trash containers. Campfires allowed only from December to. April, unless there are fire conditions. The feds and the state both have too many constraints on what they can and cannot do, so this may have to be county or a community effort. But keep thinking!

  • Thanks for the video, Brendan, but we don't need more law enforcement.. There would have to be an officer posted every ten meters up and down the coast to deal with the AIA (Avalanche of Ignorant Assholes). Locals have to be engaged as well as trained, equipped and empowered to work in conjunction with law enforcement to mitigate the problems. That is how it worked in my days when the problems were far, far fewer than today. I don't see another way except of course Big Sur Nation secession which unfortunately is no longer feasible, assuming it ever was... Of course the above suggestions are sensible, but would they work? For Example: Let's say there is a Rolling Stone concert with 100K tickets and it is sold out. So we add 50K standing room only tickets and the news goes viral and we get applications from 500K new people. What to do? It's not just a question of pricing, but also of fairness and demand that is increasing far faster than any entity, even a national park could handle. Kate has been doing a lot of work in this field and she, as well as anyone, is aware that there are lots of nice ideas being proposed worldwide, most far better than UN blah-blah, but, as far as I know, very few solutions. For those of us who love Big Sur and are not adverse to sharing but also do not want it to be reduced burning pile of shit and rubbish to enable a Selfie on a bucket list, reality is a terrifying dilemma... Personally, I am sending messages to other galaxies asking for some useful advice...

  • That’d be a great idea - Airbnb for off highway vehicle use. Set up a dirt pad for the illegal campfires and add a portable toilet, charge 100 a night!

    • Except that they destroy the land, and I don’t want them anywhere near me. Can’t fix stupid. There actually are several airbnbs for camping. They will come set up on your property, advertise, and take a percentage. I like my quiet, solitude, and peace of mind, thank you very much. Not to mention safety.

  • We would like to label this 'stupid' but from all appearances it is 'fear', (Look at all that stuff).
    The excessive curation of ones commune with nature is a defensive action driven by fear, every through hiker will tell you a good pair of shoes, a bivy, a light back pack and a water filter is all you need to experience a 1000 miles, some have done it with less and faster, many live everyday with less.
    The cosmic reality is we are all moving 438,000 miles an hour and travel 4.3 billion miles a year, hitchhikers guide to the galaxy will tell you all you need is a towel, godot will say there's nothing to be done, the universe will tell you being defenseless is to know love.

    Jack Boot on twitter will say, "Hey guy with hydration pack, 2 hiking sticks & North Face vest; my 5 yr old walked the same trail in Crocs carrying a naked Barbie. Relax."

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